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Home | Getting Started with the Status Graphics Viewer
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Getting Started with the Status Graphics Viewer

Introduction

Welcome to the Status Graphics Viewer. This viewer allows you to view the availability of USGS geospatial data interactively as a map, customize the view,and print a map. Tools allow you to move around the map, zoom in and out, identify features, and perform other functions.

The viewer window is divided into three active areas. The map is in the center of the window. The Scale, Layers/Legend, and Redraw Map buttons are located to the right of the map, and the Tool Bar buttons are located to the left.

NOTE: The Status Graphics Viewer interface does not support the use of the browser "Back" and "Forward" buttons. Also, the viewer uses pop-up windows for some data entry and to display some results. You must temporarily disable any pop-up blocker that you have installed on your machine for these windows to work.

Click an area of the viewer screenshot below to find out more about it. Status Graphics Viewer Screenshot

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Map

The main map appears in the center area. An optional overview map shows in the upper left corner of the main map. The red box on the overview map shows the approximate extent of the main map. When the hand (cursor) scrolls over the main map, the coordinates show in the status bar in the bottom left corner of the browser window. Also shown are the number of pixels and the scale factor. When the viewer is retrieving a new image, a Loading Map or Loading Data message box is displayed over the map. Clicking on the map while the viewer is loading new maps or data may cause errors.

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Scale

To the right of the map is a relative Scale tool. The current scale bar is darkened. Clicking any bar to the right of the current scale causes the map to zoom in and redraw. Clicking any bar to the left of the current scale causes the map to zoom out and redraw.

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Layers/Legend Frame

A Layers/Legend selector shows below the Scale tool. Clicking on the Layers option causes the layer list to appear below. Clicking on the Legend option causes a legend to appear below. The currently selected option is highlighted. If either the Layers list or the Legend is longer than the available space, a scroll bar will appear to the right.
    Layers— The list of available layers depends on the scale of the displayed map, so certain layers may appear and disappear from the list when zooming in or out. Click on the triangle to the left of the layer theme to see the possible datasets available at that scale. When the list is closed, the triangle will point to the right; when a layer list is open, the triangle will point downward. Checking the Visible box to the left of the layer dataset name will cause the layer dataset to show in the map when it next redraws. Clicking the Redraw Map button below the Layers/Legend will cause the map to redraw, incorporating the most recent selection or deselection. Some layers are automatically checked. To turn off a layer, click on the check mark to deselect. To close a layer list, simply click on the downward-pointing triangle, which will close the list and rotate the triangle back to the closed position (pointing right).

    Legend— When a legend is visible, the graphic shows a list of all visible layers and their corresponding symbols on the map.

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Redraw Map

Click the Redraw Map button to redraw the map after changing the visibility of a layer. The extent of the existing map will remain the same. This button is located below the Layers/Legend selector area.


Buttons in the Tool Bar


The buttons in the Tool Bar are displayed to the left of the map. Some buttons may not be visible, depending on the window size, so use the Tool Bar scroll bar to see all available buttons.

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Overview

Click the button to show or hide the Overview map in the upper left corner of the map display.

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Zoom In

Click the button and then click on a spot on the map to zoom in to that spot. You can also click and drag the cursor to create a box of a selected area on the map so that you can zoom in to that area. When you zoom in, the displayed layers will be updated if any have been selected or deselected in the Layers/Legend selector.

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Zoom Out

Click the button and then click on the map to zoom out. When you zoom out, the displayed layers will be updated if any have been selected or deselected in the Layers/Legend selector.

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Zoom State

Clicking the button will open the Zoom State popup window. Select a State that you want to zoom to, and you will be able to view the national data layers there. If other higher resolution data are available, they will be displayed as you zoom in to the appropriate scale.

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Full Extent

Click the button to zoom to the full extent of the main map.

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Pan

Click the button and then click and drag on the map to pan to a new location. Alternatively, the small arrows on each side of the map frame will pan in the direction of the arrow. When you pan, the displayed layers will be updated if any have been selected or deselected in the Layers/Legend selector.

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Identify

Click on the button and then click on the map to display information for all the features at the click point. The information will be displayed in a separate popup window.

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Query

Click the button to open a new popup window to access the query form. This tool allows you to search for features that match specific criteria. This tool has many robust capabilities and is for advanced users.

Query by layer—Choose a layer to query. Queries are made to the entire national dataset. After a layer is selected, choose a field from the drop-down Field list to query. Select an operator from the drop-down Operator list that is to be used in the expression. Type in the value of the field that you are querying, or click on Get Samples for a list of sample values for the field. Click Add to Query String. Click Execute. Clicking Undo removes the last Add to Query String. A complex expression can be built using AND, OR, NOT and ( ). Click Clear to clear out the entire expression. If the query is successful, the feature will be highlighted in the map display frame and the result will appear in a separate window. If multiple results are returned from the query, you can display any of the returned features on the map by selecting the corresponding record (Rec) number. The function will then zoom to the selected feature, which will be shown on the map.

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Measure

Click on the button and then on your starting point on the map. It may take a few seconds to register that point. A red dot will appear when the point has been registered. Then click on the next point. Both the total length and the segment length will be shown in a results box at the top of the map frame. Use the Clear button to reset the values in the results box to zero. Click the Pan, Identify, Zoom In, or Zoom Out buttons on the Tool Bar to close the results box of the measure tool.

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Clear

Use the Clear button to clear the results box of the Measure tool or features selected with the Query tool.

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Print

Click on the Print button to print the map currently in the map display frame. A popup window will appear. You can select a format and enter a title. Click on Create Print Page to open a new browser window that will display the map. Then click on Print from the drop-down File menu to print.

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Help

Click to bring up the Help menu in a separate window.

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URL: http://nationalmap.gov/gio/status_getting_started.html
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Last modified: Thursday, 17-Nov-2005 13:01:32 EST
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Map Display FrameScale FrameLayers Legend FrameOverview ButtonZoom In ButtonZoom Out ButtonZoom State ButtonFull Extent ButtonPan ButtonIdentify ButtonQuery ButtonMeasure ButtonClear ButtonPrint ButtonHelp ButtonRedraw Map